Our fearless leader, Vicki Bourns, is driving off into the retirement sunset at the end of June 2026. Since she became the director of the Utah Division of Arts & Museums in 2017, Vicki has accomplished remarkable things. She led the division as we navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing our timely distribution of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Coronavirus …
We’re pleased to share that Sharon Johnson, chair of our advisory board, has been named to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies’ board of directors. NASAA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening the nation’s 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Sharon has served on the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Advisory Board since 2020. A skilled …
Have you ever thought about the ways that writing and drawing are connected? Many artists, educators, and historians argue that drawing is the ancestor of writing — and that writing is a highly stylized, abstracted form of drawing that represents language. But literacy doesn’t end at learning to draw shapes, or even at knowing how to read them. It extends …
The Utah Division of Arts & Museums recently secured new funding from a national grant program to advance creative aging programs for older adults in Utah. The Creative Aging, Creative Futures program, a joint initiative of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and E.A. Michelson Philanthropy, builds upon the remarkable success of previous initiatives: Leveraging State Investments in Creative …
Our agency is delighted to have partnered with the Utah State Capitol Preservation Board to install five paintings by Edna Merrill Van Frank at the new North Capitol Building, where the state art collection will be housed. These artworks were created in the 1940s as commercial decorations for Auerbach’s department store. This rival of ZCMI, located in downtown Salt Lake …
From Victoria Panella Bourns, Division Director: I am so pleased that Mary Anne Carter has been confirmed as chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. I had the pleasure of meeting Mary Anne when I initially joined Utah Arts & Museums in 2017, when she was chair during President Trump’s first term. Mary Anne is a true arts champion. …
The Utah Division of Arts & Museums was recently mentioned in a blog post from Lifetime Arts, a national leader in the movement to establish creative aging as an essential driver of health and well-being. From the blog post: “In Utah, creativity is bringing communities together through art and celebration. Five creative aging programs across small towns like Nephi, Kanab, …
What a fantastic celebratory year 2024 was! As the first state arts agency in the nation, acknowledging and celebrating our 125th anniversary was a significant milestone and a key component of our strategic plan. The campaign highlighted our role in promoting the value and impact of Utah’s cultural community through increasing visibility, community awareness, and engagement, and our vital role …
The Utah Division of Arts & Museums recently recognized seven departing members of its board and advisory council for a combined 44 years of dedicated service. Their invaluable contributions were celebrated by staff and fellow board members, who shared the following reflections on their impact:
Our agency’s administrative assistant, Emilie Starr, recently delivered the keynote speech at a Foster Grandparent volunteer event put on by our sister agency, UServe Utah. Here is the text of her heartfelt speech. Welcome, everyone. It is a profound honor to stand before you today and express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you, the Foster Grandparents …
From Utah Arts & Museums Director Victoria Panella Bourns: “Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Governor’s Mansion Artist Awards. I was deeply moved by the acceptance speech of one honoree, artist Emily Christensen McPhie. She articulated the role of the arts beautifully and granted me permission to reproduce her thoughts on our blog.” By Emily Christensen McPhie I …
The UA&M Folk Arts Program is excited to announce the 13 recipients of the FY25 Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program. Since its founding in 1989, the Folk Arts Apprenticeship Program has supported the continuation of traditional artistic expression in the Beehive State through numerous apprenticeships in traditional dance, craft, music, and other art forms. Our FY25 Folk Arts Apprenticeship recipients are: …
